A Perfect Plan (1)
The lord’s daughter and the wanderer. In the ordinary course of fate, their threads should never have crossed. Yet by sheer coincidence, those threads brushed against each other.
That day, the lord’s daughter had felt an unusually strong urge to stroll by the lakeside. And the wanderer, charmed by the lake’s scenery, had decided to take a nap there. If even one of those small choices had gone differently, they probably would never have met.
The lord’s daughter grew curious. A wanderer meant someone who drifted without a fixed home. So perhaps this man knew about the world outside. Naturally, the wanderer was flustered by the sight of the lord’s daughter. Usually, children of highborn families either looked at his ragged appearance with contempt or fled in fear. Instead, she sat down beside him and asked him to tell her stories. What on earth was this?
Even now, whenever Yuliana recalled that moment, a smile would rise to her lips. They had been a mess, knowing nothing about each other. Yet for some reason, being together with him brought her peace. That kind of person.
That day, after hearing the entire truth from her father, Yuliana was surprisingly calm. Her daily routine remained exactly the same. She patrolled the territory, studied as the future lord, and cultivated the virtues expected of a saintess.
“Child, you don’t have to push yourself so hard.”
“It’s fine, Father. This is what I want to do.”
“……”
Watching Yuliana answer with a bright smile, Yulis felt as if his heart were crumbling. The heavens truly had no mercy. Why did such a good child have to face something like this…?
…I almost wished that man would grab my daughter’s hand and run away with her.
Yulis was both the lord and the commander of the Holy Knights. Naturally, he had no choice but to sacrifice the few for the many. But… if that man had taken his daughter’s hand and fled far away…
“What a truly pathetic man.”
“He didn’t run away because he was afraid.”
“He abandoned you and left. Why are you defending him?”
“Because I know him.”
For someone who introduced himself as a wanderer, he had an overwhelmingly strong sense of responsibility. If a man like that felt powerless because he couldn’t save the person he loved, what else could he do? Instead, she was grateful to him. It would be a lie to say she had no lingering feelings or regrets. Still, it had been the first time in her life she had ever loved someone. That feeling had been so warm and sweet that she thought she would remember it even after death.
And then, when everything was over and the sun began to sink low on the horizon, Yuliana rose from her seat without hesitation. But…
The voice of the man she loved— a voice she thought she would never hear again— rang out. And it came from outside the castle walls. An incredibly loud voice. Loud enough for everyone inside the castle to hear.
Thanks to that, not only she but also the Holy Knights tasked with protecting her and Yulis himself came rushing to the ramparts in a panic. Outside the walls, three people stood boldly. Yet for Yuliana, only one person caught her eye. A man with a face covered in scars and gray hair.
“My lord, we should subdue them immediately…”
“No. Let’s watch for now.”
The Holy Knights naturally moved to arrest them at once. But Yulis raised his hand and stopped them. Yuliana had already steeled her heart. She spoke with an icy expression.
“Why have you come back here?”
“……”
“After running away on your own that day, are you saying you’ve come to save me now?”
Her voice was so cold and full of contempt that even the Holy Knights beside her flinched. Of course, these were not Yuliana’s true feelings. But she already knew. If it wasn’t her, then all the people of the territory—and eventually the entire continent—would fall into chaos. That was why she had decided. She would make that foolish man give up on her.
“How arrogant. I am the daughter of Lord Fragah of Salen, and I am a woman who will one day join the Holy Knights.”
“……”
“Did you really think someone like me could truly love a lowly man like you?”
“Hey.”
But the Holy Knights watching only her back from behind couldn’t see it. The first to notice was Kain, who stood directly in front of her.
“You’re crying right now.”
“…Huh? This is…”
She hadn’t even realized the tears herself. Flustered, she hurriedly wiped them away with her hands. Watching her clumsy, helpless appearance, Kain let out a small chuckle.
“If you’re going to lie, at least do it properly. What the hell is that, you idiot?”
“It’s not a lie…!!!”
“I don’t know about any of that complicated stuff!!”
Brute. That word suited his actions perfectly. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have thought to stomp on the towering castle wall with his foot and climb straight up it. But Kain did exactly that, scaling the wall in no time.
“Like I said, I want you to live.”
“I’ve told you so many times that it can’t happen…!!”
“Lord’s daughter or whatever! Throw all of that away!”
However, the Holy Knights were veterans too. They weren’t about to simply watch. The moment Kain reached the top of the wall, they immediately moved to knock him back down.
“This is the best part.”
“What?!”
“Ugh!!”
“Mind not interfering?”
A gale. A storm as fierce as the wind itself blew the Holy Knights backward. At some point, a man had stepped forward like a shield, standing between them and her. The Iron Shield. The one who would never be pushed back and would protect everyone. Strangely enough, that image was what everyone present thought of in that moment.
Thanks to that, Kain was able to tell her what he had been hiding in his heart.
“There’s so much I want to do with you. I want to eat delicious food, go for walks in places with nice scenery, and… I want to sleep with you too!!”
“What kind of vulgar—! That’s only for people who are married…!!!”
“Exactly!!”
He was covered in scars. Not just on the outside—his heart was full of them too. The kind of fool who swore he would never trust people again, yet ended up trusting them anyway. The kind of fool who could be changed by love.
“Marry me.”
Knowing the heart of such a man, knowing the wounds of his past, Yuliana unconsciously spoke her true feelings.
“If… if someone like me is okay with you…”
Two trembling hands clasped each other. Strangely, the trembling stopped. Kain didn’t hesitate. He pulled Yuliana into his arms.
Isaac clicked his tongue and said,
“Since the dawn of time, that has to be the worst confession in continental history.”
“S-shut up! You and that perfect plan of yours. I didn’t hear the details, but it’s solid, right?!”
“Of course. Trust me.”
He didn’t even look back. There was no hesitation or anguish in his actions. Kain, who had wandered as a wanderer, knew this type of man well. A hero trusted by everyone. A man who could turn the impossible into reality. A man truly worthy of the title of great hero.
That was why Kain could ask him with complete sincerity. To save Yuliana, his father-in-law, no—
“Save all of us!!”
Fight Behemoth and the Holy Knights? Normally, anyone would have recoiled and refused such a request. But.
“Understood.”
Isaac accepted gladly.
After jumping down from the castle wall, Kain quickly disappeared from sight. In the brief lull that followed, the first to speak was Yulis.
“Didn’t you already receive your reward? So why have you returned?”
“There was a request to save the woman I love.”
“The reward?”
“Who knows.”
“As expected, you are fundamentally different from other heroes.”
Yulis realized once again that his eyes had not been wrong. If the situation had been different, they might have shared drinks and become friends. But given the current circumstances…
“That vagrant earlier said you had a perfect plan.”
“……”
“If it’s all right with you, could you tell me? Depending on the circumstances, I may be willing to cooperate.”
The Holy Knights looked at him in shock, but Yulis did not retract his words. Of course he knew. There was no way to deal with Behemoth without any sacrifice. But. There was always the possibility of “what if.” What if there really was a way to handle Behemoth without any victims?
If such a method existed, Yulis would gladly cooperate with this man.
“That’s not difficult at all.”
“I’m listening.”
“First, Kain persuades Yuliana and rescues her.”
“That went quite well, I must say.”
Of course, there had been a moment when rage nearly severed his reason, but the possibility of “what if” had made Yulis grit his teeth and endure. Understanding that feeling, Isaac continued.
“Second, in case of emergencies, we evacuate the territory’s residents to the temple using slightly forceful methods.”
“Forceful methods, you say.”
BOOM!
BOOM!!!
“I see exactly what you mean.”
At the sound of explosions coming from behind, Yulis nodded. And just as expected, signal fires began rising across the territory not long after.
A Holy Knight shouted in alarm.
“My lord! We’re under attack!!”
“Calm down. This is the work of that earthworm and this man.”
“I-is that so?!”
“It is, but… your titles for him keep getting worse…”
“Never mind such trivial things. What is the final method?”
Yes. This was the most important part. If no sacrifice was offered, Behemoth would eventually awaken in rage. At Yulis’s question, every Holy Knight present focused their gaze on Isaac. In truth, Yulis had been hoping. In such a short time, this man had grasped the signal fires and the temple situation and driven things this far. So the third plan would surely be trustworthy as well.
“The final third step.”
Receiving all those gazes at once, Isaac pointed his thumb at himself. What could that mean? While Yulis was pondering, he answered.
“The strongest—me—will defeat Behemoth.”
“……”
“It really is a perfect plan, isn’t it?”
It was only natural that Yulis’s expression began to rot.